Sustainable and Fun Holiday Crafts for Kids
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Time to Read: 9 min
The holiday season always brings a special kind of joy, especially with kids around. Their excitement adds an extra sparkle to everything, from hanging ornaments to baking treats. But these moments also offer a chance to do something meaningful. Choosing crafts that use natural or recycled materials helps create traditions, celebrate the season and care for our planet, too. Plus, crafting together lets us slow down, connect, and give kids a hands-on way to learn about sustainability. Make a healthy snack, get out your favorite stainless steel dishware , and share these craft ideas with the kids. Looking forward to hearing what your family creates together this holiday season.
About Ahimsa
Founded by a pediatrician and mom of three
Stainless steel is the only kid-friendly material recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics
We are guided by a Scientific Advisory Council comprised of environmental and medical experts, guiding us in creating the safest products, following the latest science and promoting policy to protect human health and our planet
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Nature-Based Crafts
Nature offers treasures perfect for holiday crafts—right in our own backyards. Turn a simple nature walk into a crafting adventure this year with these holiday decorations that bring an earthy, fresh touch to your home.
Leaf Garland
Gather leaves of every shape and color on your next family walk. Dry them out at home, then thread them carefully along yarn or twine to avoid tears. Drape the garland across your mantel or windows. Each leaf adds a bit of the season’s magic inside and tells its own little story.
Pinecone Ornaments
Nature’s own ornaments, pinecones are a perfect choice. Rinse and dry them after collecting a handful of these beauties, then let the kids add some color. Use homemade natural dyes or eco-friendly paints, and paint just the tips, leaving most of the pinecone’s original look. Tie a loop of ribbon for hanging as a finishing touch. Unique and full of character, each pinecone brings charm to your tree.
Citrus Slice Ornaments
A hint of fragrance and a pop of color, citrus fruits offer a festive touch to holiday decorations. Slice lemons or oranges about a quarter-inch thick, then dry them on a baking sheet in a low oven (200°F) for a few hours. Once cool, poke a hole at the top of each slice, thread twine or ribbon through, and hang them up. The light creates a warm glow shining through the translucent slices—just right for the holidays.
Upcycled Holiday Decorations
Upcycled holiday decorations add a unique twist to your holiday décor while helping kids see the magic in reusing materials.
Bottle Cap Snowmen
Stack three metal bottle caps with glue to create mini snowmen after saving them up. Paint little faces on each snowman, and add tiny scarves made from scraps of fabric for a cozy look. These snowmen bring personality and charm to any holiday display and are easy enough for kids to make independently.
Egg Carton Stars
Egg cartons often pile up, so turn them into something festive. Cut each egg holder into individual pieces, paint them in your favorite holiday colors, and glue them into star shapes. Add a sprinkle of glitter or a dab of paint if you want extra sparkle. These stars can be strung as a garland or used as tree ornaments, adding a playful touch to your decorations.
Magazine or Catalog Wreaths
Old magazines or catalogs stack up fast, but they’re perfect for this holiday craft. Roll each page into a tight cone, secure with glue, then layer them in a circular pattern to create a small wreath. This activity introduces kids to the value of repurposing while they make something beautiful. Display your wreath on the front door, in the kitchen, or anywhere you want a pop of color. The results are always unique and capture the spirit of giving new life to everyday items.
Edible Crafts
Edible crafts bring a festive touch to the season, making decorating (and snacking) a bit more exciting for kids.
Decorated Holiday Cookies
With a bit of creativity, simple sugar cookies transform into edible masterpieces. For icing colors, you can use natural ingredients like beet powder for red, spirulina for green, or turmeric for yellow. Kids can decorate with these homemade, colorful options, ending up with treats that look beautiful and taste great. They get to eat their art, but they also get to enjoy the decorating process.
DIY Popcorn Garland
A classic, nostalgic touch to holiday décor, popcorn garlands are easy to make. On sturdy thread, string plain popcorn with cranberries to create a biodegradable decoration that’s gentle on the environment. To build fine motor skills, encourage kids to handle the threading carefully and watch as your windows or tree gain a natural charm from this simple craft.
Fruit Ornament Snack Bags
Filled with dried fruits or nuts, small mesh bags make both snacks and ornaments. Have kids fill each bag with their choice of cashews, cranberries, dried apricots, or almonds, then hang them on the tree after tying them off. These bags add a colorful touch to your holiday setup and offer a convenient, healthy snack, which kids will enjoy selecting for display.
Simple Gifts from Nature
Gifts made from nature give kids the chance to create something meaningful and personal to share with friends or family.
Herb Sachets
With just a few dried herbs and small fabric scraps, kids can make fragrant sachets that feel like tiny bundles of nature’s best. Fill the fabric with dried chamomile, lavender, or rosemary, then tie it off with twine for a rustic touch. These sachets not only smell wonderful but also offer thoughtful, easy-to-make gifts that kids feel proud to share. Tuck them into closets or drawers, where they add a soft, natural fragrance.
Rock Paintings
Rocks are miniature canvases for holiday creativity. Find smooth stones and let kids decorate them with paint, adding cheerful holiday scenes like tiny trees, simple stars, or snowflakes. These painted rocks add a bit of natural color to a windowsill or garden and make charming paperweights. Encourage kids to think up a theme or story for their designs, which adds a bit of personality to each piece. These little artworks not only brighten any space but bring a handmade touch that feels extra special.
Montessori-Inspired Activities for Crafting Skills
Stuffing Casserole
I’ve already touched on it a little, but pretty much all of the crafts I’ve written about here are Montessori-informed—encouraging our kids to use their hands, explore textures, and make their own creative choices. Montessori emphasizes learning through direct experience and independence, which is exactly what happens with these natural, hands-on activities.
In these projects, kids engage deeply with the materials around them, developing their senses, motor skills, and creativity all at once. By letting them gather, sort, and decorate, we encourage them to notice details, make decisions, and follow their own artistic instincts. Crafting this way gives them the freedom to experiment and problem-solve naturally, all while connecting with nature and learning in ways that don’t feel like formal instruction.
Handmade Wrapping Paper
Using recycled brown paper, kids can create one-of-a-kind wrapping paper that feels both personal and eco-friendly. Set out potato stamps, leaves for leaf prints, and markers, then let their creativity take over. With this activity, they practice fine motor skills, explore different textures, and see the direct result of their work on a canvas that’s all theirs. Each piece becomes a small work of art—perfect for adding a thoughtful touch to holiday gifts and a way to reinforce the joy of making something from scratch.
Counting and Sorting with Nature Finds
To bring math and holiday decorations together, gather small natural items like acorns, pinecones, and leaves. Kids can count, sort, or arrange them by size, color, or texture, learning while they create something beautiful. Arranging these finds encourages them to observe differences, categorize by various features, and develop counting skills—all foundational for early math. They can make simple patterns or complex displays that you can use as table decorations or garlands. This hands-on activity fosters curiosity, builds basic math skills, and adds a warm, natural element to your holiday décor, giving kids the chance to see how their creations add beauty and personality to family spaces.
Snacktime Essentials
Make Every Day Sustainable With Ahimsa
The holiday season is a perfect time to embrace creativity with your kids, finding joy in crafts that connect them to the natural world. These simple projects bring families together, teaching kids valuable skills while encouraging a love for nature and a sense of responsibility for our planet. As you try these ideas, remember it’s the time spent together and the memories made that matter most—not the perfection of the final product. Each craft is a small step toward a more sustainable, thoughtful way of celebrating.
Take advantage of Ahimsa’s Black Friday Sale to bring home sustainable, kid-friendly mealtime essentials at a great value. This limited-time offer lets you introduce durable, non-toxic products into your family’s routine while saving on every purchase. With durable, non-toxic stainless steel products like the Mindful Mealtime set, Ahimsa products are a colorful, safe alternative to plastic. This holiday season, consider adding these sustainable options to your home and keep the spirit of mindful, earth-friendly living going at every meal.
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi
Dr. Manasa Mantravadi is a board-certified pediatrician whose dedication to children’s health drove her to launch Ahimsa, the world's first colorful stainless steel dishes for kids. She was motivated by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ findings on harmful chemicals in plastic affecting children's well-being. Ahimsa has gained widespread recognition and been featured in media outlets such as Parents Magazine, the Today Show, The Oprah Magazine, and more.
Dr. Mantravadi received the esteemed “Physician Mentor of the Year” award at Indiana University School of Medicine in 2019. She was also named a Forbes Next 1000 Entrepreneur in 2021, with her inspiring story showcased on Good Morning America. She serves on the Council for Environmental Health and Climate Change and the Council for School Health at The American Academy of Pediatrics. She represents Ahimsa as a U.S. industry stakeholder on the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) for the Global Plastics Treaty, led by the United Nations Environment Program. Dr. Mantravadi leads Ahimsa's social impact program, The Conscious Cafeteria Project, to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard student health as part of a national pilot of the Clinton Global Initiative.
She is dedicated to educating and empowering people to make healthier, more environmentally friendly choices at mealtime. Her mission remains to advocate for the health of all children and the one planet we will leave behind for them through real policy change within our food system.
More Snacktime Essentials
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use stainless steel instead of plastic? Is stainless steel better for health?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a report in July 2018 suggesting ways that families can limit exposure to certain chemicals at mealtime, including “the use of alternatives to plastic, such as glass or stainless steel, when possible.” The report explained that “…some additives are put directly in foods, while “indirect” additives may include chemicals from plastic, glues, dyes, paper, cardboard”. Further, “Children are more sensitive to chemical exposures because they eat and drink more, relative to body weight, than adults do, and are still growing and developing.” While stainless steel items meet the recommendation to avoid plastic products in children, Ahimsa® products have the obvious advantage of not breaking like glass.
Is stainless steel better for the environment than plastic?
According to the Steel Recycling Institute, steel can be recycled over and over and over again without losing its integrity and requires less energy to recycle than to make anew. Most plastic unfortunately ends up in landfills and it is estimated to take 700 years to decompose. Our special coloring process that allows Ahimsa® products to be fully metal is environmentally friendly, so it does not produce toxic run-off into the ecosystem.
Will Ahimsa products break or peel?
No. Our steel is durable, so it won’t break or shatter with everyday use, like glass. And it won’t peel, like other colored stainless steel products you’ve seen. We use a special process that allows the colors to naturally occur in the metal.
Which Ahimsa products are best for my little one(s)?
Our products are meant to last, you can use Ahimsa at ages 1, 8 and 18! We thoughtfully design our products to be safe for little ones and our planet while reducing consumption. Once your child outgrows the Starting Solids Set and can use regular cups and utensils, the training cup is the perfect size rinse cup in the bathroom, the infant spoon doubles as a tea stirrer and the bowl is great for snacks or as an additional compartment to our modular divided plate. Our plates are great for any age as they encourage choosing a variety of healthy foods at each meal and help visualize portion sizes easily. It’s the lasting beauty of stainless steel - grows with your child and reduces waste.
